Would you believe sharp axe making ? In amongst the crowd was Robin hood ( hood for short ) asking the obvious - where do get hold of double headers these days . The answer is not printed here, but rest assured the key answers were given to all questions .
" Colac's own racing axemaker shows a packed shed of blokes breakfasters just how to shape a piece of steel to shave, slice and split in seconds. 8 different abrasives are used to bring the steel to shaving point ; Some of the last abrasives looked more like soap, than stones .
Here Jim shows how to precisely measure the double curve shape ( convex, like a hill , near the edge to concave ,like a valley , through the top ) of the splitting part for maximum "in", minimum grip and maximum split . Different profiles, cutting lengths and angles are used for poplar, ash and jarrah ; the woods used in championships .
Many of us brought our own axes for inspection , only to find that, typically ,we weren't taking enough time and care. Check it with the microscope if you really want to know .
Jim clearly had the edge on the sharpest tool in the shed- that day.
